Naked yoga: Does it have any real health benefits?

Yoga

Yoga is the heritage of India and has been practiced from ages by Yogis. It comes from the Sanskrit word, ‘yuj’ which means to add or to unite. Hence Yoga is a practice that unites our mind, body and soul with each other in order to make us one with the Almighty. Yoga has various forms and each one offers different benefits. Hence, different people have different reasons for practicing yoga. Some do it for peace of mind while some to attain a healthy body.

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The Many forms of Yoga

Yoga has many forms and one of them which has been practiced off late by some people is a bit unconventional, that is a practice of doing yoga without clothing. It has gained popularity in various regions, mostly the West and is now slowly waving its path towards the East. Yes, going ‘au naturel’ or naked is the latest yoga trend. While some think that being naked around other yogis sounds more anxiety-inducing than stress-relieving, the ones who have done it have a different story to tell.

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Naked yoga

This new concept of ‘Naked Yoga’ has created quite a stir especially in the conservative countries like India and the Middle East. People though are becoming broad-minded, they still hesitate at the thought of ‘Naked Yoga. For them, nudity is only to be embraced in private and ‘Naked Yoga’ therefore, is nothing but a way of fooling people. But people who have practiced yoga naked say that, this is a good way to improve self-confidence, self-esteem and help people feel good about their bodies.

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Advocating Naked Yoga

According to practitioners of this form of yoga, doing yoga naked brings a new level of honesty and authenticity to yoga. It brings about a greater level of awareness and sense of freedom inspiring a more mindful and connected practice. The advocates of naked yoga claim that the nude version is easier to perform because there are no physical limitations from clothing and shedding one's clothes brings a new level of honesty and authenticity to yoga. An authenticity that can sometimes get lost in the fashion and branding surrounding yoga.

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The Uniqueness

The name itself is unique and catches attention. Some participants are nudists who want to try yoga for the first time. Others are yoga aficionados looking to learn some new stretches by taking up naked yoga. Some others are looking for health benefits and yet some others come to experience the new concept. Regardless of why they come, it's a chance for participants to let go of all the conditioned reactions that have been taught to us by now and breathe, stretch and mediate.

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Is Nudity the norm?

But how to break the boundaries that are set by us ourselves and that too from times immemorial. Where in Christianity, nudity was last seen before Adam and Eve ate the Forbidden Fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. In Hinduism, nudity was never promoted. Even in Muslim religion and other religions, nudity was looked down upon and was only permitted in private. So to uproot such a deep rooted belief needs a lot of perseverance, strong reason to back it up and the support of people.

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Is there a Health Risk?

The only health risk one will be exposed to when practicing naked yoga is being exposed to certain infections. Infections that might be caused by sharing the same yoga mat. Therefore, taking precautions and carrying your own mat should take care of the threat. As far as the hygiene quotient is concerned, it is advised that people get their own mats and towels so that there is no scope of infection by sharing these with others. Apart from this, it is extremely safe and free from any health hazard.

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How to let go?

The practice helps people let go and gives them freedom from various constraints of life. Feeling self-conscious at first is a conditioned response, but it will go away gradually as after all, nudity is the norm. If God wanted us to wear clothes, we would be born with them. But we are not. Every session starts off by a fifteen minute reality check. People are made to adjust to the surroundings and feel okay to stand there with so many people, all naked, confronting their fears about their new experience.

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The Benefits

Experts agree there are psychological benefits to naked yoga, but not really physical ones. Nude yoga multiplies the medical effects of other yoga types and is a great way of preventing heart disease, digestion problems; reducing stress and anxiety, improving the endocrine system and immunity. It provides a sense of freedom which is not a physical one but a psychological one. Though Naked Yoga does not really provide any extra health benefits than a normal Yoga, it does provide something more for the mind.

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How does it help us?

It makes us free from all the human boundaries and brings us closer to our natural self. Nudity may seem an absurd idea at first but it is how we were born and how we will die. Naked Yoga helps us embrace our own body and also that of others. It helps us put aside the divides of religion, region, caste, language and bond on the basis of our oneness. It makes us mature psychologically and would help satiating sexual needs that remain unsatisfied due to clothing.

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Naked Yoga-A step closer to God

So though Naked yoga does not have immense Health Benefits, it surely is a step towards getting people back to the natural ways and if supported, could actually lead to low sexual harassment and rape cases, large amount of healthy and fit people as they would be more aware of their bodies and also people with empathy for each other, diminishing the man-made divides. This way we could achieve an ideal world, closer to our creator and closer to ourselves, all similar souls, uniting in the ocean of God.